Archlinux

• required

  • linux running on rock5b (or any other compatible arm device)
  • if using linux other than Archlinux, must have arch-chroot tool setup (see arch wiki)

• build image

  # retrieve radxa debian and archlinuxarm images
  wget <https://github.com/radxa/debos-radxa/releases/download/20221031-1045/rock-5b-debian-bullseye-xfce4-arm64-20221031-1558-gpt.img.xz>
  wget <http://os.archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz>
  
  # extract debian image
  xz -d rock-5b-debian-bullseye-xfce4-arm64-20221031-1558-gpt.img.xz
  
  # create new empty image (at least 20GB needed to build kernel)
  truncate -s 20G arch-rock5b.img
  
  # mount original and new image to loop0 and loop1
  sudo losetup -P /dev/loop0 rock-5b-debian-bullseye-xfce4-arm64-20221031-1558-gpt.img && sudo losetup -P /dev/loop1 arch-rock5b-image.img
  
  # copy partition table from original to new image
  sudo sgdisk -R=/dev/loop1 rock-5b-debian-bullseye-xfce4-arm64-20221031-1558-gpt.img
  # refresh
  sudo sgdisk -G /dev/loop1
  
  # lsblk should be
  NAME        MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
  loop0         7:0    0  3.7G  0 loop 
  |-loop0p1   259:5    0  512M  0 part 
  `-loop0p2   259:6    0  3.2G  0 part 
  loop1         7:1    0    5G  0 loop 
  |-loop1p1   259:3    0  512M  0 part 
  `-loop1p2   259:4    0  3.2G  0 part
  
  # create FS on new partitions
  sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/loop1p1 && sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/loop1p2
  

  # resize rootfs partition using GParted
  sudo parted /dev/loop1
  (parted) print                                                            
  # Model: Loopback device (loopback)
  # Disk /dev/loop1: 5369MB
  # Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  # Partition Table: gpt
  # Disk Flags: 
  #
  # Number  Start   End     Size    File system  Name    Flags
  #  1      16.8MB  554MB   537MB                boot    boot, esp
  #  2      554MB   4000MB  3446MB               rootfs
  #
  (parted) resizepart 2 100%                                                
  (parted) quit                                                             
  

  # resize FS to take full space
  sudo resize2fs /dev/loop1p2
  

  sudo mount -o rw /dev/loop1p2 /mnt
  sudo tar -xzvf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /mnt > /dev/null 
  sudo mount /dev/loop1p1 /mnt/boot
  

  
  # chroot into image
  sudo arch-chroot /mnt
  # first time pacman init
  pacman-key --init
  pacman-key --populate
  # install required packages
  pacman -Sy base-devel vim git
  # edit /etc/sudoers to allow users from wheel group to sudo
  visudo
  # change to default user
  su alarm
  # build midstream kernel (until available in AUR directly)
  git clone <https://github.com/hbiyik/hw_necromancer.git>
  cd hw_necromancer/rock5b/linux-rk3588-midstream/
  makepkg -si
  # ctrl-d until exited from chroot
  

  sudo umount /mnt
  sudo losetup -d /dev/loop0 && sudo losetup -d /dev/loop1
  

• after flashing and booting arch-rock5b.img, resize rootfs to wanted size

• archlinux setup

  # rename default user (replace myusername to yours)
  usermod -l myusername alarm
  # update user home
  usermod -d /home/myusername -m myusername
  

  # use zsh as default shell
  sudo pacman -Sy zsh grml-zsh-config
  chsh -s /usr/bin/zsh
  

Tips

• checking TEMPS

  # list thermal zones TYPES
  cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone*/type
  soc-thermal
  bigcore0-thermal
  bigcore1-thermal
  littlecore-thermal
  center-thermal
  gpu-thermal
  npu-thermal
  
  # list thermal zones TEMPS (65614 = 65,614°C)
  cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone*/temp
  65615
  68384
  68384
  66538
  61923
  61000
  62846